TRUMP AIDE CLAIMS STEPHEN BANNON AND REINCE PRIEBUS WILL BE FIRED

The Independent:Donald Trump is considering sacking Steve Bannon and Reince Priebus, two of the President’s closest advisers, in a major shake-up of White House staff, according to unconfirmed reports.

A senior aide to Mr. Trump was quoted by a US news outlet as saying “things are happening, but it’s very unclear the president’s willing to pull that trigger”.

“The tension, the exhaustion, the raw nerves have gotten much harder to disguise.”

It is understood that the changes could include the departure of Mr Bannon, the President’s chief strategist, and Mr. Priebus, the White House Chief of Staff.

Axios reported a top aide to Mr. Trump saying the sackings were a matter of “when” not “whether”.

Mr. Bannon, a controversial, right-wing newcomer to US politics who formerly edited the Breitbart news website, was instrumental in Mr. Trump’s election campaign.

But he was stripped of his position within the National Security Council (NSC) earlier this week in a move that startled Washington observers and appeared to cast doubt on his future in the administration.